Last



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,008

lnvenTor.

John W. May by/wwl W ATTys.

it ll ahentetl Dec. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WALTER MAY, OF BOSTON; MASSACHUSETTESQ ASSIGNOR TO MAY ELTNIVERSAL LAST CORPORATION, 01 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A OORIORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

LAST.

Application filed October 28, 1926.

This invention relates to divided or seetional lasts of that type which are made with a fore part and heel part connected. together to move toward and from each other tor the purpose of shortening; or expanding: the last, and an intermediate wed re-shaped part situated between the tore part and heel part and movable transversely of the last, the movement oi? said wedge-shaped part in one direction forcing the heel. part and the part away from each other thereby to lengthen the last and movement in the other direction permitting the parts to .i'novc toward each other to shorten the last.

Une :l'eatnre of the present invention relates to a novel means tor locking the wed" shaped member, which.functions an e pandiiig member. in. its operative POSli'l and according to this feature elf the :inven; tion means are provided for locking; said wedgeehaped member to the connecting member which unites the heel part and tore part.

Another feature of the invention relates to a novel connection between the tore part and heel part which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture but which is d nrable and serviceable.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illnstratedin the drawings a selected. embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel tea tnres will. be pointed out in the appended. claims.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinalsectional view of a last embodying my invention showing the last extended or lengthened with the inter mediate wedgeeshaped member hacked to the connecting member;

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the last contracted or shortened;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-8. Fig. 1.

The last herein shown comprises the fore part 1 the heel part 2 and a wedge-shaped intermediate part 3 which functions an expanding member. A lasthaving. this construction would. be formed by taking- :1 one piecelast and dividing it trznisversely along the lines t and 5. i I

The fore part and heel part are united by a connection which permits the two parts to move toward and from each other. In the construction herein shown this connection is serial No. 144,710.

in the form of a member 6 which is anchored in one of the parts and has a pin-and-slot connection with another part. The cornicetion 6 is illustrated;herein as anchored. in the heel part, one end oi? said connection being n'ovidcd with a head portion '1' which is received in a slot 8 itoroinnl in the contaetinp face 5) of the heel portion said head. 7 being rigidly anchored in the last by pins 10 extending transversely through the heel part.

The intermediate wedge-shaped part 3 is provided with a slot '11 through which the connecting; member extends and the vertical end 12 oi. said connectine member extends into a. slot or recess 13 termed in the contacting face 14; oi the toe part I. The end l2 of the connecting member 6 is slotted as shown at 15 and a. pin l6 which extends transversely through the fore part extends through said slot thus connecting the member 6 to the fore part. This pinand-slot connection allows the fore part to more longitudinally of the last with reference to the connecting member 6.

The parts are so constmcted that when the wedge-shaped IIlGll'llJGI' 3 is moved downwardlv into its operative position shown in Fig. 1 the fore part and heel part will. be separated from each other thus lengthening the last, the amount which the last can he lei'igrthencd being; determined bvthe engage ment oi? the pin 16 with the end of the slot 15.

(inc fracture of the present invention relatcs to a novel means for locking}; the intermediate men'lliier in its ol'iorative position. this being herein accomplished by locking): it to the connecting; ii'icinhcr. Various ways of thus locking; the intermediate member to the coimectine' member may be employed without departing from the invention. ple construction is herein shown which is Very e'f'lectivo in its operation.

. The connecting member 6 is shown as having a screw-threaded finger or projection 17 rising; therefrom and the wedgeehapcd member 3 carries a nut 18 which is adapted to have screw -threaded. engagement with the projection 17 as shown in Fig. 1 thereby to lock the intermediate member in its operative position. The nut 18 is amihored in the wedge-shaped .n'ieinber 3 but is permitted to A. simfill freely turn therein and is so positioned that .when the wedge-shaped member is forced downwardly into its operative position The nut 18 may be anchored in'the wedge-- shaped member'3 in various ways without departing from the invention. As herein shown said nut is swivelled in a washer 20 and the washer 20 is driven into a recess 21 formed in the member 3 and is thus anchored therein. Preferably the recess 21 will have sufiicient depth so that the nut 18 will be entirely below the top surface of the member 3. This nut 18 may conveniently have a screw driver slot 22 in its end so that a screw Cir driver may be used for turning the nut.

The operation of lengthening a last havingthis construction is very simple. The

last when in its shortened condition, as

shown in Fig. 2, will be inserted in the shoe and the wedge-shaped member 3 will then be forced downwardly to lengthen the last as shown by dotted lines Fig 2, this operation bringing the nut against and into axial alignment with the threaded finger 17. A slight turning movement of the nut by a screw driver or any other implement Wlll then screw the nut onto the finger'17 and thus lock the last in its lengthened position. As the nut 18 is tightened the wedge member 3 will be forced home thus making a rigid last structure. This method of locking the intermediate member to the connecting member has the advantage that when the last is lengthened the nut may always be tightened until the pin 16 is firmly seated against the end of the slot 15 and the last is converted into a rigid last structure.

When the last is removed from the shoe itis simply necessary to back off the nut- 18 until it is tree/from the screw-threaded finger 17 when any strain to which the last is subjeetedin the direction of its length will automatically cause the last to be shortened so that it may be readilyremoved from the,

shoe. 7

I claim-- r 1. A last comprising a fore part, a heel part and a: wedge-shaped intermediate part situated between the fore part and heel part, a'connecting member rigidly secured to the heel partand extending through the intermediate part and loosely connected to the fore part, and means to lock the wedgeshaped intermediate part directly to said connection.

2. A last comprising a fore part, a heel part, an intermediate wedge-shaped part, a connecting member anchored rigidly at one end in the heel part, the other end being slotted and entering a recess in the fore part, a pin carried by the fore part and extending through said slot, and means to lock the intermediate part directly to the connecting member.

3. A last comprising a tore part, a heel part, a wedge-shaped intermediate part, a connection between the tore part and heel part which permits the last to be lengthened or shortened, and means to connect the intermediate part directly to the connecting member when the last is lengthened, said means operating to cause the intermediate part to have an expanding wcdging action on the fore partand heel part.

4. A last eon'iprising a lore part, a heel part, a wedge-shaped intermediate part, a connection between the fore part and heel part directly which permits them to move toward and from each other, and means for locking the intermediate part to the connecting member, said locking means comprising two parts having a. screw-threaded connection.

5. A last comprising a fore part, a heel part, a wedge-shaped intermediate part, a connection. between the fore part and heel part which permits them to move toward and from each other, and means for locking the intermediate part to the connecting member, said locking means comprising two parts having a screw-threaded connection, one of theparts of said locking means being on the connecting member and the other carried by the intermediate part of the last.

6. A last con'iprising a fore part, a heel part, an intermediate wedge-shaped part. a connection between the fore part and heel part which permits them to move toward and from each other, said connection having a screw-th1eaded linger and a nutcan ried by the intermediate part for engaging said finger thereby to lock the last in aligned position.

7. A last comprising a fore part, a heel part, a wedge-shaped intermediate part, a connection between the fore part and heel part which permits the last to be lengthened or shortened, and means securing the intermediate part to the connection and operating with a ,wedging action to force the intermediate part home when the last is lengthened and to maintain it wedged between the fore part and heel part.

8. A last comprising a fore part, a heel part, a wedgeshaped intermediate part, a connection between the fore part and heel part which permits the last to be lengthened lee weapon or shortened, and means for connecting the wedge-shaped intermediate part to said conneotion and for causing said intermediate part to he wedged firmly between the lore part and heel part when the last is length ened.

9. iii. last comprising a lore part, a heel part, a wedge-shaped intermediate part, a connection between the fore part and heel part which permits the last to he lengthened or shortened, means securing the intermediate part to the connection and operating with a screw action for securing said intermediate part to said connection and cansing the intermediate part to have a wedging action between the lore part and heel part when the last is lengthened.

10. A last comprising a tore part, a heel part, a wedge-shaped intermediate part, a connection between the tore part and heel part which permits the last to be lengthened or shortened, and means operative when the last is lengthened for connecting the intermediate part to said connection and holding the interi'nediate part in wedging engagenient with the fore part and heel part.

11. it. last comprising a tore part, a heel part and a wedge-shaped intermediate part movable transversely oi the last from operative to inoperative position, a connection between the tore part and heel part which permits them to move toward. and from each other to shorten or lengthen the last and also limits the transverse movement of the wedge-shaped intermediate part when moved into its inoperative position, and means to connect said intermediate part to said connection when the last is lengthened.

12. A last comprising a tore part, a heel part, a Wedge-shaped intern'iediate part lnovable transversely of the last from operative to inoperative position, a connection between the fore part and heel part which permits the last to be lengthened or shortened, said connection limiting the transverse movement of the wedgeshaped part when moved to inoperative position, and means operating With a screw thread action when the last is lengthened for securing the intern'iediate part to said connection and holding said part in wedging engagement with the fore part and heel part.

In testimony whereof, I have signed in v name to this specification.

JOHN \VALTER M A 1''. 

